EU raises concerns on appointment of new Army Chief

The European Union (EU) has issued a joint statement sharing in the UN's concerns over the appointment of Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as Army Commander this week.

In its statement, the EU said that the promotion of  Lieutenant General Silva has called to question Sri Lanka's commitment to the UN Human Right Council this year to ensure justice and accountability.

The EU stated that it shared in concerns expressed by UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet in this regard, due to the "allegations of grave human rights and humanitarian law violations against him".

"The appointment undermines Sri Lanka's efforts towards national reconciliation and sends a worrying message to the victims and survivors of the war," the statement issued in agreement with the Embassies of Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland, and the UK High Commission,  said.

Allegations have been levelled against the newly appointed Army Commander on committing human rights violations during the final stages of the LTTE war.

However, the Foreign Ministry today issuing a statement said that the concerns raised by foreign entities in this regard are "unwarranted and unacceptable".

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